World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev admitted that Jasprit Bumrah has proved him wrong with his performances in Test cricket in 2018. The former cricketer said that when he saw Bumrah bowl for the first time, he didn’t think the fast bowler would last long because of his unconventional action. Bumrah was the star of the show in Melbourne, taking six wickets in the first innings and three in the second to help his side win by 137 runs and take a 2-1 series lead.
Speaking to The Times of India, Kapil said, “I have to tell you that Bumrah has proved me wrong. When I saw him the first time I had thought (whether) he could last long with this kind of action, but he has. Hats off to him and I really compliment him for his superlative show in Australia. His mindset must be very strong.”
Kapil, who was the chief orchestrator of India’s last Test win in Melbourne in 1981, with a 5/28 in the second innings, expressed astonishment as to how Bumrah can generate 140-plus speed with such a short run-up.
Kapil expressed that Bumrah has special shoulders and is a unique bowler.
“I think he is fabulous. With such a short run-up, if he can generate 140-plus speeds consistently, you have to respect him. He has a special shoulder. These types of bowlers are unique,” said the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian captain. “Bumrah is good with both the new and old ball. He has a very good bouncer which can surprise the opposition. He is very accurate and knows where he is bowling. He applies his mind well. All this put together makes him one of the leading bowlers in the world today.”
When asked whether the Indian team depending too much on Bumrah is a cause for concern for the side, Kapil Dev said, “When you play in India, don’t you depend on Ashwin? Even Jadeja is someone on whom the team depends a lot at home. If someone starts doing well for the team, the team starts depending on that cricketer.”
Following that display, the 25-year-old has been acknowledged by many, including his skipper Virat Kohli, as the ‘best bowler in the world’. The fast bowler is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing India-Australia series with 20 scalps so far. Bumrah ended the year taking an impressive 78 wickets across the 30 matches he played in the three formats. He was deadly in Test cricket, taking a splendid 48 wickets in nine matches. His performance in limited-overs format was also equally good, as he took 22 wickets in 13 ODIs and eight wickets in eight T20Is.
